Green Tourism Week highlights the best of British eco tourism

Greem Tourism Week UKThe week runs from 6 to 12 June 2011, and is organized by the Green Tourism Business Scheme. Part of the celebrations will be recognising the highest achieving green businesses of the last year with a series of high profile awards.


Awards for eco tourism

A total of 10 special GoldStar Awards will go to those companies who have demonstrated the highest levels of green ambassadorship, innovations and cost savings over the last year.

Other gongs include the Best Carbon Footprint award to the organisation with the lowest carbon footprint and a Best Performance for Carbon Reduction Award to the hotel chain that has made the best CO2 savings.

Green Traveller Award

The Green Traveller Award will go to a celebrity traveller who has raised the profile of environmentally friendly tourism. Judges will include leading environmental campaigner Tony Juniper, Richard Hammond of Green Traveller, and John Firrell, Director of the Considerate Hoteliers Association.

Supported by VisitEngland, VisitScotland & VisitWales

Jason Freezer of VisitEngland, who are supporting Green Tourism Week, said: “Sustainability is fast becoming an essential part of competitive positioning in the tourism industry, and VisitEngland is delighted to support a campaign which will help showcase to the industry the superb work already being done in this area and which demonstrates that green is increasingly not just a ‘nice to have’ but rather an essential strategic driver for business growth.”

The Green Tourism Business Scheme is the only UK tourism certification programme endorsed by VisitEngland, VisitScotland and VisitWales and is also validated by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism. The scheme now has more than 2,300 members in the UK and Ireland, which are graded by expert environmental assessors.

Green tourism on the up

Green tourism is really taking off in the UK, with holidaymakers realising it makes environmental and financial sense to go green. More and more people are taking daycations in the UK and taking advantage of National Trust membership offers to spend time out locally. Green Tourism Week should further raise the profile of eco friendly tourism in the UK and can only be a good thing.